Sweet and Sour
by Insanity0Rocks0My0Socks
Summary: Years later, after the defeat of Deep Blue, Taruto kept his promise and came back for his candy drop, but wound up with so much more; a marriage, a wife, and children. 100 Theme Challenge. Mucho fluff coming at ya!
1. 001: Introduction

Introduction:

He had had quite the time getting as far as he had and he wasn't even sure what to do now that he was there. How long had it been since he had left with a childish promise on his lips, in his head, and on his heart? Racking his brain, he figured it must have been around three years or so. It was hard to estimate since time passed differently on his planet than on Earth.

That aside, he found that not much had changed about the blue planet and he found himself shaking his head in disdain at the thought. Humans hadn't learned since their departure? But, then, not all humans were smart like some of the ones he had met on his previous mission. And still yet, he supposed, that it would take longer than just a few measly years for there to be an obvious effect of some people's efforts to reduce and redo the pollution and destruction they had begun causing decades ago, possibly centuries.

Pushing the thought aside, he hovered silently over the ever busy, ever crowded city. A frown graced his face as he stared down on the world. The sun was just beginning to peek over the horizon and greet the world and he wasn't sure what to do with himself at the moment. Truth be told, though his leave of his planet had been somewhat impulsive, he knew exactly why he was here, what he should do, and where he should go, but it was all a matter of how to go about doing all this. Though intelligent compared to some, he still had a nasty habit of not thinking things all the way through.

Sighing, he ran a hand through his hair before turning away from the sun and slowly gliding through the air, over the noisy streets below and toward a slightly calmer, quieter place. Eyes glazed over in thought, it took him a moment to realize where he was and he was surprised at himself. After all this time he still remembered where her house was?

Descending, he paused on his way to the ground as a thought came to mind. What exactly was he going to do? It would probably be rather awkward to just knock on the door and say 'how do ya do' at this time of day. Folding his legs together into the position he had once held so many times while contemplating the annihilation of the human race, he idly glanced around the yard.

Now, one would think that having the ears these aliens do that one could hear extremely well, right? Well, you wouldn't be wrong in thinking that as he suddenly heard a soft whimper coming from the other side of the house. Frowning, he floated gently to the other side, coming to an abrupt halt when he saw who had made the noise.

She knelt on the ground in front of a small shrine sort of display (**1**). Legs curled under her, hands clasping her knees, her head was bowed as she murmured something under her breath for a while before slowly standing, wiping at her face, and then smiling determinedly. Bowing slightly to the shrine, she turned and disappeared into the house, calling out to everyone inside.

He glided gently over to the shrine, staring in at the picture of the face of a beautiful young woman. There were hanging tags everywhere that read things in Chinese so he wasn't aware of what they said.

Turning to look over his shoulder, he shook his head gently, mulling the words over she had murmured before he glided up into the air. He knew what he had to do. With that in mind, he teleported away before anyone could see him and make a commotion.

* * *

Sighing, she carried the patient people their order, smiled a brilliantly bright smile and then walked away again. A couple of years could mature a person beyond belief, but she wasn't completely out of her childishness just yet. All the same, it worried her co-workers and she could feel their concerned gazes on her at all times of the day lately.

When had it started exactly? When had she become the shell of the person she had once been? She knew all too well when it had begun. A few months ago, on the third anniversary of the defeat of Deep Blue, she and the others were having what would become a long tradition of meeting up in a park and having a nice picnic.

She had made three terrible mistakes that day.

The first was to spy a flower with the most pure color she had ever seen as of late. It brought a pang to her heart.

The second was to glance over and spot the deep, healthy green vines wrapping gently around the brown trunk of a tree. It brought tears to her eyes.

And the third was the largest of the three; she made the mistake of reaching into her inner jacket pocket and touching a round item inside. A cloud came over her head and she excused herself early from the fun and games.

Though she had put up a strong front for most all her life while raising her siblings, taking care of them, watching her mother die, and being a Mew Mew, she still found that, though try she may, there was still a chink in her protective armor that she couldn't seal up and sometimes found herself crying at night over things long since come to pass.

Her friends worried over her for the next couple of days after her little episode, and she did a great job of shoving the thought of him to the back of her mind and going about her days as usual. But, somehow, he always seemed to sneak his way back into her thoughts.

This was why her friends were being so kind at the moment. They could sense something depressing her and so they made sure not to mention anything too sensitive around her while also taking care of some things for her. While she was grateful for their concern, she was also a little aggravated with more than just a few people.

On the top of her list were herself and him. She was mad at herself for continuing to think of him and thus becoming depressed and making her friends worry so much and she was angered at him for continually slipping into her thoughts at the most unconventional of times.

Leaning against the counter that was her position for the day, she watched her friends flying around the room, giving orders, taking orders, chattering to each other, throwing concerned glances her way, and then speeding off to do something else. Shaking her head, she giggled slightly at their antics, finding that being around her friends always helped when she delved into a touchy thought.

She was still giggling slightly when she heard someone approach the counter; a customer no doubt. Turning around, she felt her eyes widen, probably comically, as she stared straight into the eyes of a young boy with sparkling ambers. Brown hair pulled back into a long, streaming ponytail, his amber colored eyes twinkled in amusement at her plight as she tried to grasp for words that were racing through her head.

"M-may I help you?" She finally stuttered, surprising herself. She was usually much more composed than this and usually much more excited. But he reminded her so much of him and she wasn't sure whether she liked it or not.

"Sure you can." He leaned forward on the counter, surprising her as she blinked rapidly at him. "You can give me that candy drop I came back for." A grin spread across his face as he noticed her mouth drop open, showing off his fangs.

"T-" She stuttered for a moment before screeching loudly causing just about everyone in the Café to turn and look at the commotion and jumped over the counter, slamming straight into the youngest alien. "Taru-Taru!" She cried out in delight, not caring in the least what other people were thinking or saying at the moment, nor would she care later on. None of that mattered right now and it never would, not when she had Taruto with her once again.

"Hey there monkey girl."

* * *

"_It's been three years and three months now. Silly how I remember down to the day when they left, or more specifically him. I've told you all about him, remember mom? He said he would come back, but he hasn't yet. And though it pains me to continually wonder if he will keep his promise and return, I haven't given up hope just yet. Though it maddens me to no ends that I still think of him everyday, it also makes me happy that I haven't forgotten about him. People say to try and forget things that make you sad, don't they? Well, doing that would mean that I would forget all about you and Taru-Taru. I would never do that, nor do I think I would be able to. Because, though it's sad to think of you, it also makes me happy."_ (**2**)

* * *

**1**: This is an allusion to chapter 8 of a wonderful Pudding x Taruto fic by Paprikacha called Denial. I strongly recommend reading it if you love the pairing! It's terribly cute!

**2**: That was what Pudding had said when Taruto found her behind her house, speaking to her mother at the shrine.

Well, what do you know? I have begun my descent into the Tokyo Mew Mew fandom and have thus sealed my fate into the Pudding x Taruto fangirl physique. I was a fan quite some time ago, but only just recently remembered why. God, I loved this show and I still do. Now I'm going through, rewatching episodes, reading the manga, and finding lovely little stories with my favorite couple! Unfortunately, there doesn't appear to be as many Pudding x Taruto stories as I would like to see, so I am going to throw in my own work.

This is actually a 104 theme since the person that made it had a made a typo, but I don't mind. The only thing that bothers me is if I am going to be able to finish it. I hope I can! I tried to do one of these once…I failed… miserably. But hopefully this one will be different!

I hope you already know this, but if not I shall tell you, each of the chapters that I put up until the end (which will most likely be in order mind you) will not necessarily correspond with the chapter before it. It's in no particular order.

This whole thing will be of little snippets in their lives, happening at different points, most, if not all, will be happening after their reintroduction as stated above. You will also be seeing my fan children born from this lovely couple, but we'll talk about them later on, shall we?

As for the explanation behind that horrendous title… well… I was originally going to call it Daddy's Girl, Momma's Boy but since it isn't just about their children I named it what you see before you. Don't know if it's any good, but I didn't want to name it something lame like 100 Theme or something obvious like Taruto x Pudding that's just... well, like I said, lame XD

Sorry about this disgustingly long author's note! Please review and tell me what you think! If anyone wants, I will be more than happy to provide you with a link to the list if you wish to do something like this as the list was created with authors in mind and is in no way bound to one specific fandom. Hope to hear from you all soon! ~Insanity


	2. 002: Complicated

Complicated

Life is complicated, there's no getting around that, but it's worth it in the end, right? At this point in time, Taruto wasn't so sure.

Everything had been perfectly fine in the beginning of their relationship, but then they had to go and get married, settle down, and, quite suddenly, Taruto found himself the brunt of many major (and typically violent) mood swings. Oh, the joys of pregnancy.

It was amazing how he would be sleeping peacefully in the middle of the night, happily cuddled up under the blankets only to be suddenly awaked by a sharp shove to the shoulder. Being a light sleeper, he would always awake with a jerk, most often reaching for his knife (he replaced his childish click-clack toy with an assortment of sharp implements) only to find that it was his wife staring at him with her large, brown orbs.

He could never say no to her and he had a feeling that she knew that.

So he would get up in the middle of the night, visit some late night drug store, grab whatever she was suddenly craving, and then teleport back home.

This happened quite a bit during her pregnancy and it's amazing how long nine months can suddenly seem when you are awoken at every hour of the night for the strangest concoctions you have never even heard of (who the hell wants pickles with peanut butter?)

Their relationship became a little strained whenever Pudding would suddenly lash out at her husband, nearly biting his head off every time she did, but Taruto stayed by her side…metaphorically. After all, who wants to literally be by your pregnant wife's side when she could suddenly snap and commit third degree murder on you?

Those nine months were probably the most complicated of his life.

It was even worse when she went into labor.

He had been by her side at the beginning, letting her squeeze his hand until it lost circulation. The screams she emitted were terrible to listen to. He honestly almost went and slit the doctor's throat at one point for making his wife go through with this pain.

Taruto was forced to leave when the doctors and nurses began to mumble to themselves. He was informed that his wife would have to go through a C-section, whatever the hell that was. All the same, she was in pain and he could hardly deal with it.

But when they had begun the process, the silence that reached his ears was even worse than the screams. When she was screaming at least he knew she was still alive, but Pudding being silent had never been a good thing in the past.

It was a little better when the others showed up, giving him support as he awaited the verdict of her health, but he still squirmed uneasily, waiting to hear his wife's voice, see her smiling face, see their child.

Finally, when the doctor came out, asking for him, he nearly bowled the doctor over in his attempt to see if Pudding was alright, leaving both his friends and the nice man in the dust.

What he saw as he entered the room was possibly the best thing beside her in her wedding gown. Cradled in each arm was a small, pink mass of flesh. They were tiny things that Taruto could hardly believe were the source of all Pudding's pain.

As he approached, she looked up and smiled that dazzling smile he would always hold dear in his heart, always remember. "Hey." She whispered gently as he came to crouch beside her. "Meet Kuri and Amondo (**1**)."

Taruto finally allowed himself a smile for the first time that day as Pudding released her hold of one of the babies, giving her over to her father. He cradled Kuri in his arms, staring down at the peacefully sleeping face.

It was one of the happiest times of his life aside from when they met and married.

It didn't even bother him that Kisshu managed to sneak a shot at the happy family and nor would it bother him when the green-haired Alien would tease him about his sappy smile later on.

Many things don't go your way, but you just have to get over them.

Some things are too complicated for anyone to understand, humans or otherwise.

Sometimes it's hard to get through the tough times to the end where you know a better ending awaits.

And there are times when you will wonder why you bother and if it's worth it.

Ask Taruto for his opinion, he'll tell you every time that, yes, it's worth it.

* * *

**1**: Kuri is a girl and her name means Chestnut. Amondo is a boy and his name means Almond.

Why, yes, I did continue on with the ever present food theme XD Originally they were going to be named Pichi and Momo, but they both mean Peach and I'm not sure if that would work in the grand scheme of things later on.

I'm actually not very happy with this one since I feel that I could do better. But, alas, I wasn't sure exactly what to put into this theme. It was originally going to be much longer about three different things that were especially complicated for Taruto, but I decided to just have it be about Pudding and the dreaded P-word. It could most definitely have been better, but I suppose it's alright. I may end up redoing this one though, what do you guys think?

I would like to thank **Lilyflower-314** and **Lazayta** for being my first reviewers and just making my day! I was actually disappointed when I looked on FF and found that no one had reviewed (but it takes a while to be noticed after all), so I was going to put it off until tomorrow before I began to write this chapter. That was, until, I went to my email to check up on things there. I had seen the two review alerts, but actually hadn't realized what they were. After clicking that I had read them (though I actually hadn't), I found myself frowning and looked back at them and then began to squeal in delight!

You guys rock and have successfully made me extremely hyper and giddy with joy!

If you hold any suggestions or questions then don't be shy to type away! I'll be more than happy to take into consideration your suggestions and will be very willing to help with your troubles! ~Insanity


	3. 003: Making History

Making History:

Pudding giggled lightly to herself as she relaxed on the bench, watching her family with glittering brown orbs, dancing with amusement. Her husband had grown into a nice man, not nearly the brat he had once been, though he still had his moments sometimes. Still, he was a great father and she often boasted about it to her children, telling them what wonderful luck they had.

Eyes glazing over in thought, the blonde Mew Mew tilted her head back to gaze up at the sky. In a recent conversation with her friends, she remembered them having a sudden discussion of things they were sure no one else had done; like fighting Aliens to protect the world. Mint commented on Ichigo and Masaya having the longest going relationship out of all of them and probably the whole world without any complications once the fact that she was a Mew Mew was let out.

Lettuce had made a note that they were probably some of the few people in the world that had been friends since they were in middle and high school (**1**). For many people, apparently, once in college it was hard to keep in contact with their childhood friends.

Ichigo joked that Zakuro was the oldest model out there, saying that most would have been thrown out as soon as they hit twenty-one. The purple haired Mew Mew took it as a compliment and chuckled lightly.

Zakuro commented that Pudding was probably the only grown up that still held her inner child to her, never wanting to mature. Pudding had laughed, stating that that was truest thing she had heard yet.

They had dispersed to go about their day after a while and now, a couple of days later, Pudding found herself reflecting on that strange, but amusing conversation. They probably made quite the group with their history and all the things they did that might seem unique, strange, or admiring to others.

Oh, they made history alright, but most of that would never get out to the world. They were Mew Mews once, but the world would never know the true identity of the Animal Girls.

Mulling over the few things that had been noted by the others, Pudding thought over some things that hadn't been mentioned before and probably never would around her friends because of their concern and worry they always held over each other.

She may not have been the first to get married or go out, but she had certainly been the first and only to get with a former enemy of theirs.

But there was one memory that stuck out from all the others and it brought another giggle to her lips. Her and Taruto had made unseen history that no one but the two of them would probably ever know.

* * *

When she was still pregnant with Kuri and Amondo, Pudding remembered still being the reckless, selfless girl that she had always been. It had been on her journey home that she had seen trouble in an alley. Being who she was (both curious and righteous), she bounded into the narrow passage to help whoever was being confronted.

It turned out to be a rather cliché scene with a young woman being harassed by a drunkard, but that didn't bother Pudding in the least as she ordered the man to leave the woman alone. He had merely laughed at her, she was six months pregnant by then and it was obvious that she was carrying a load (**2**).

Waving her off, the man turned his back on her and that was when Pudding snapped. Reaching into the grocery bad she carried, she pulled her arm back and swung, watching with a satisfied smirk as the apple hit the man in the back of his head. Swinging around, the man turned on Pudding and the blonde woman watched as the other watched in horror.

The former monkey Mew Mew had no fear for what was about to happen, though she worried for a moment over her unborn children. As he approached, Pudding stood her ground, looking unimpressed, and then released a barrage of attacks known only by the Fong family.

She watched with darkened eyes as the man lay on the ground, she hadn't even spilled a single object from her bag. Cracking her neck, she turned to look at the woman, smiled kindly, and then made her way out of the alley.

"Why did you help me?" The woman asked softly, following after the pregnant woman. "No one else would have."

"I beg to differ. There are plenty of people that would have helped, I just happened to be passing by." Pudding smiled at the woman, waved with her free hand, and then meandered off, heading back home.

She hadn't realized how late it was until she had walked through the door and was suddenly attacked by her husband.

"Where have you been?" He had practically shouted at her, gripping her gently, but firmly at the shoulders. Pudding could tell he had feared for her and she immediately felt guilty, but she didn't regret helping that woman.

"I just got a little distracted, it's not big deal." She commented, beginning to walk into the kitchen to put away the food.

"Not a big deal?! You're six months pregnant and without powers anymore, you could have been hurt!" Taruto objected adamantly, following after his wife.

Pudding set her bag down, turned to her husband who continued to rant and rave about what could have happened and reached out, pulling the brunette into a hug. She smiled softly to herself as he immediately quieted down, hugging her back gently.

"I'm sorry I worried you, but I'm fine. I may not be a Mew Mew anymore, but I'm still a Fong and I'm still Pudding. You know I can never turn my back on someone who needs help and you wouldn't either, even if you weren't an Alien. I love you, I always will, and I appreciate you worrying over me, but it isn't necessary all the time. I would tell you if something had happened."

"Would you? You don't like to worry others, why would you tell me if anything dangerous had happened?" Taruto countered, though he did it softly, seemingly alright now that he held his wife in his arms.

"For you, I would tell you everything, so long as you listen to what I have to say. If I say it wasn't any trouble and nothing happened then believe me, alright?" Pudding pulled back slightly, a kind smile on her face as she gave her husband a peck on the lips.

Taruto sighed and then smiled, exasperated with his wife. "Alright, fine, I can't win this anyway."

"That's right, but the wife always wins, especially when she's expecting." Pudding giggled, turning back to the bag.

It was silent for a moment before Taruto spoke again, bringing Pudding up short. "So, you fought someone while pregnant? How does that work exactly?"

Pudding smiled sheepishly at her frowning husband, though she could see amusement in his eyes.

* * *

"What're you thinking about mommy?" Amondo asked, placing his tiny hands on her knees, staring up into her beautiful face.

"Oh, just something that happened a while ago. Pudding made history back then." The mother laughed, ruffling her son's blonde hair, so much like her own.

"Yeah, she was the first ever known expecting mother to beat up a guy with a stomach in the way." Taruto commented dryly, holding Kuri in his arms upside down as the girl giggled in delight.

Pudding stuck her tongue out at her husband before laughing.

History had certainly been made. She just hoped other mothers wouldn't follow in her footsteps unless they had training under their belt too.

* * *

**1**: I dunno how Japanese schools work though I think I have a vague idea, but since I don't want to look stupid, I use the American school system XD

**2**: Hell I should know just how obvious it is when you're six months pregnant or not. I haven't been preggers yet DX

To be perfectly honest, I'm even less happy with this chapter than the last one. But I am fond of some parts, mainly the last thing Taruto says. But hopefully I'm just being overly critical and it actually isn't as bad as I think it is. You tell me.

Once again another shout-out to **Lilyflower-314** for reviewing and making my day! I must say, she is feeding my ego by reading this story XP

Reviews make me happy! Constructive criticism is appreciated! Flames will be given to Lucifer so he can decorate Hell! ~Insanity


	4. 004: Rivalry

Rivalry:

It was a few months after they had officially started going out that he had returned. Ron Yuebin.

Taruto remembered sitting at a table with Masaya, waiting for the girls to finish up for the day when Yuebin had walked in, quickly gaining attention from easily wooed girls. It hadn't taken Taruto but a moment to remember who this man was, getting in the way of him defeating the Mew Mews.

And, obviously, Pudding recognized him too because she raced over and began chattering with the man right away.

At the time, Taruto had merely raised an eyebrow and gone back to talking with Masaya. Sure, he was still a bit peeved at the man for ruining his plans, but now that he wasn't trying to take over the world why should he care about Yuebin? It wasn't until later that he noticed the looks the other Mew Mews were giving him.

After a few minutes of this he finally snapped and yanked Lettuce over. "What's with the looks?" He snarled. Hey, he may not be fighting with them but that didn't mean that he especially liked them.

"Oh, um, well, see…We were, um, just, uh, making sure that you…were alright with, hm, this." Lettuce stammered out, blushing profusely as she stumbled over her words. Years of being with her friends and a few months of getting to know Taruto and she was still shy, but she was getting better.

"Alright with _what_?" Taruto asked, eyes narrowed as he stared at Lettuce with sharp, amber eyes.

"Er…" Lettuce looked over her shoulder for help from one of the others and was, gratefully, saved by Mint who came over after a bit of prodding from Ichigo.

"After Yuebin saved Pudding from your attack they came back here, had a little challenge, and he won. Turns out that because he won he became her betrothed or fiancé." Mint explained with curt, blunt explanation. That was probably one of the only things that Taruto liked about the blue haired Mew Mew; she didn't take forever to get to the point.

Taruto felt his eye twitch at the answer he received and he glanced over to the happily talking duo. "He's like, what, twenty years older than her? Isn't that called pedophilia?" He asked, leaning on his fist. The Alien didn't notice, but Lettuce, Mint, and Masaya saw his hands clenched into fists, digging into the palms of his hands and saw him grinding his teeth together.

Mint could honestly say that she was jealous, but she wouldn't admit that out loud.

"Well, yeah, I guess, but it's been decided already. You could always go and defend your honor of being her boyfriend by fighting him." Mint teased shamelessly, smirking slightly as she sipped at her tea.

Taruto snapped his eyes to Mint, glared at her for a moment and then went back to staring at Pudding and Yuebin in silence.

Lettuce became severely uncomfortable and quickly excused herself, dashing away into the kitchen. Mint actually found herself surprised at the restraint Taruto was keeping.

This went on for just a half hour before the Café closed and everyone went home, minus the Mew Mews, Taruto, and Yuebin.

Seemingly remembering something, Pudding suddenly grabbed a hold of Yuebin and promptly dragged him over to where Taruto was still seated. "Yuebin, I want you to meet Taruto! Taruto this is Yuebin!" She said excitedly, not seeming to see the danger in introducing these two to each other.

Taruto didn't even try to act civilized, instead continuing to glare at the man. Yuebin looked taken aback by the animosity that was radiating from the smaller Alien. Pudding was completely oblivious.

The others had gathered around, watching the sight with reluctant interest, not able to tear their eyes away from what was about to happen. Even Zakuro had trouble not being interested in the spectacle, though she did continue to clean up while glancing over every now and then.

"I believe we've met before, haven't we?" Yuebin asked politely, smiling charmingly like he always did.

Taruto scoffed lightly. "Yeah, we've _met_."

Pudding, still oblivious, smiled at the two males before she turned to Taruto. "Ne, me and Yuebin still have things to catch up on, would you mind if he came with us to the park?" She asked with a bright smile.

Taruto would swear for years afterward that he had seen the Mew Mews cringe at the question, all looking as though they were about to dive behind something. Staring at the blonde haired, brown eyed girl he found himself smiling with effort. "Of course not, why would I mind?"

Pudding giggled happily, giving her boyfriend a hug and then racing off to change out of her uniform to leave.

Yuebin and Taruto watched her leave and then waited in awkward/hated silence depending on who you looked at.

It didn't take her but a moment to change and Pudding was back, calling out to the two males.

They left the Café just after that and Taruto frowned for a moment before whipping around and glaring at the three Mew Mews that were about to follow them. His glare was heated enough that they went straight back to work and he left, shutting the door behind them.

* * *

It would have been an awkward silence had Pudding not been chattering away to Yuebin the entire time, only letting the man speak a little bit every time there was a pause so that she could take a breath.

Taruto walked beside Pudding, silent as he let them talk. Suddenly, the blonde Mew Mew excused herself to a small building where she could relieve herself.

The two males stood in silence for a moment before Yuebin turned to Taruto with a polite but confused smile. "So…what are you to Miss Pudding?" He asked, tilting his head in question.

An ear twitched at the question and Taruto crossed his arms as he turned to look up at the man. "I'm her boyfriend, who are you?" He asked sharply.

Yuebin seemed taken aback, but whether by his answer or his curtness Taruto didn't know which. "I'm, um, her fiancé." He said and Taruto saw something change in that man's eyes (**1**) just then and he found himself clenching his fists tightly once more.

* * *

Pudding walked back out of the restroom, rubbing her hands on her pants to get rid of the rest of the water. When she looked up, she frowned slightly in confusion before giggling happily, skipping over to where both Taruto and Yuebin sat on the fountain. They weren't talking, but she noticed that they weren't giving each other the evil eye so that was good enough for her.

"Glad to see that you two are getting along, shall we continue?" She asked with a bright smile, coming to a stop in front of the two.

"I'm terribly sorry Miss Pudding but if I don't get going now I will be late for a meeting that I have made." Yuebin said with an apologetic smile. He placed his hand on her shoulder, murmured something to her and then left with a wave.

Taruto watched Yuebin for a moment before standing up and walking over to Pudding. "So, ready to get going?" He asked, raising an eyebrow at her flushed cheeks.

"Of course! Let's go, Taru-Taru!" Pudding said, wrapping her arms around his and began walking off again.

"What did Yuebin say?" Taruto asked, looking at his girlfriend out of the corner of his eye.

"Oh, nothing you need to worry about." Pudding assured the Alien. They fell silent afterward before the blonde stopped, turned to Taruto, and gave him a peck on the cheek. "I'm glad you're my boyfriend." She said with an uncharacteristic seriousness about her before she broke the tension, laughing at the blush that had made its way onto Taruto's cheeks.

She had noticed the bruises and slightly disheveled look on the two when she had returned, as though they had been in a fight. Pudding hadn't said anything about it.

* * *

"_He's a good man. You won't have any trouble with him."_ (**2**)

* * *

**1**: No, Yuebin does not love Pudding in that way. The change in his eyes was his concern for Pudding and his suspicion of Taruto.

**2**: That's what Yuebin told Pudding.

Alright, another one done! Only 100 more to go! DX

I must thank **Lilyflower-314** and **KisshuXIchigo** for their reviews and keeping me going!

I'm sorry about how slow I am at updating, I was planning on updating everyday, not every other day or something –sweatdrop- But I do have an excuse, I've been sick lately. It's on and off. One day I'll be fine, the next I'm, er, upchucking.

I actually like this one, but you guys may be disappointed at the lack of fight scene, well, to be perfectly honest, I'm not good with fight scenes –sweatdrop- So I'm real sorry about that, but you can always use your imagination! ~Insanity


	5. 005: Unbreakable

Unbreakable:

Nothing could bring her down it seemed. Taruto would know, he'd tried before. But she was resilient in the way only Pudding was capable of.

Nothing anyone said could deter Pudding from something she wanted to do. Insult her and she'll merely laugh. It had been like that since the first day they had met and even before that time. Taruto imagined she must have been quite the annoyance to bullies, especially since he had been one himself once.

Her mother died, she had to take care of her siblings since her father was away, she fought for the safety of Earth, saw him die, and nearly died herself multiple times in her life. But despite all of that she never once crumbled.

Once upon a time, Taruto and Pudding had been a tad nervous about their children going to school. Since they were half Alien, the two had gained some strange features from their father.

Complete opposites from each other, Amondo had his mother's brilliant sunny hair and his father's gleaming amber eyes. Kuri, on the other hand, harbored Taruto's chocolate hair and Pudding's brown orbs. Both were small for their age and this only reinforced their anxiety. But what really set them on the edge were the fangs that poked over their lips when they grinned, their cat-pupils that stuck out even in Kuri's dark eyes, and the large ears they had gained.

"Alright, let's go everyone or you're going to be late." Pudding called through the house, waiting at the door for her children just entering their first year of school.

Amondo raced up to his mother and leapt into her arms just as Taruto came around the corner, Kuri thrown over his shoulder and hanging upside down. Pudding smiled at the girl as she squealed with delight.

Taruto and Pudding had faith in their children, but that didn't stop them from worrying about what other children would do. They knew how cruel the world could be, but their children didn't.

* * *

Taruto walked into the door and slipped his shoes off. Frowning, he noticed there seemed to be something off and then realized it was the fact that he hadn't been attacked by two blurs of yellow and brown children.

"Pudding?" He called, walking further into the house.

"In the kitchen!" His wife called from a nearby opening.

Coming in, Taruto paused with a frown plastered on his face, eyebrow raised as he took in the sight before him.

"What happened to you?" He asked his children who sat idly on the countertop. Kuri was pouting in anger as her mother wiped the dirt from her face. Amondo already had a band aide on his knee and was kicking his legs back and forth.

"Nothing." Kuri insisted as she crossed her arms with a huff.

"Kuri here got in a fight." Pudding informed her husband, stepping back from her daughter. Despite her words, the blonde woman didn't seem at all bothered by the fact.

"Why?" The Alien asked, staring at his daughter.

Kuri sighed in exasperation as though she were annoyed with answering the same questions over and over. "They was picking on 'Do so I's told them to stop. When they didn't I socked 'em." She huffed, jumping down from the counter when her mother finished putting the bandage on her forehead. "Am I in trouble?" She asked, staring up at her father with glistening eyes.

Taruto glanced up from looking at his daughter to his wife. They shared a look and the Alien patted his daughter's head. "No, you're not."

Pudding bounced back from anything and fought with all her worth, never once letting anyone bring her down.

She had passed those genes on to her daughter who never let anyone break her in the slightest. She was feisty and fierce, argumentative, confident, and quick to fight back.

Their children would be alright, they decided.

* * *

This was a tough one, let me tell you! I, again, don't like it, but I guess there is an upside to this: by not liking this one I'm beginning to appreciate the ones before it DX Is that strange or does that happen with other people too?

I honestly didn't know what to put for this one and was very tempted to just skip it, but I found that I couldn't do that so I went through with the torture and am putting up this ugly piece of work.

I know it's much shorter than the others and, really, it doesn't have anything to do with the theme, but, I, again, couldn't come up with anything for it. So I'm sorry that I'm clogging up your inbox with this piece of nasty. –sigh- Hopefully they'll get better as I go!

I give major thanks to **Fireflies Glow** for the lovely review that had me giddy with flattery and giggling in excitement and delight! Thank you very much! ~Insanity


	6. 006: Obsession

Obsession:

It hadn't taken Pudding and Amondo long to decide that Kuri had a problem. Any fight that broke out was sure to include the brunette.

Someone was commented on her ability to pick fights with anything anyone said. She drop kicked that person.

Pudding tried to convince Taruto of her same concern for their ever arguing daughter. However, the Alien saw nothing wrong with the girl and always letting her fists fly. Maybe it was because he had been like that himself when he was younger or not, but the blonde woman knew she couldn't count on him to help her out.

It was when the twins had come home one Wednesday that Pudding had had enough. Staring at her daughter, she bit her lip in concentration. Dried blood was smeared slightly on her forehead and dirt covered her from head to toe.

"Kuri, come on, we're going to have a talk." Pudding ordered, marching to the living room with a grumbling and pouting daughter.

Amondo stood awkwardly in the doorway before scampering off to do his homework.

Pudding stared silently at her daughter for a moment, her brown orbs reflected in the face of the young girl. Sighing, she leaned forward and rested her chin on her hands.

Kuri didn't stare at her mother, rather choosing to stare at her feet, arms crossed as she softly bounced one foot against the couch.

"Honey, you're obsessed." Pudding stated bluntly, gently shaking her head.

"I'm sure I don't know what you mean. I'm only in the second grade momma." Kuri muttered, looking up at her mom from under her chocolate bangs.

"Of course not, that'd be too easy." Pudding sighed, running her hand through her hair. "Why do you have to fight so much?"

"I thought you approved of me defending myself." The little girl accused, huffing in annoyance at her mother's changing thoughts.

"Don't be putting words in my mouth. You know I don't mind you standing up for yourself, but deliberately going out and picking fights with people is too much." The elder female responded, exasperated.

"Then what's the problem with me fightin'?" Kuri demanded, becoming defensive easily.

Pudding sighed, staring at her daughter with furrowed brows. "There's nothing wrong with standing up for yourself, but fighting everyday over little things is too much. Standing up for yourself doesn't mean you have to get physical."

Kuri muttered under her breath before sighing. "Fine, fine, I won't fight everyday." She grumbled.

"How's about without a good reason?" Pudding asked, smirking lightly. Her daughter was smart, but she couldn't get around her mother that easily.

Pursing her lips, Kuri narrowed her eyes at her mother before finally sighing, shoulders sagging in defeat. "Fine!" She cried, throwing her hands up into the air and stomping out of the room.

Watching her leave, Pudding shook her head in exasperation before leaning on her hand in tired amusement. "She really is her father's daughter." She laughed lightly, leaning back on the couch.

* * *

Thursday came and went, and Pudding was actually surprised to find her daughter come home without her brother saying anything about fighting. "I'm really proud of you Kuri." Pudding stated happily, patting her daughter's head. She chose not to notice the girl's pouting lip or annoyed eyes, but she smiled at the girl's flushed cheeks created from the praise.

"Yeah, whatever." Kuri hissed before disappearing from the room.

Amondo watched her leave with a smile before reporting to his mother as she leaned against the counter. "It was really hard for her and everyone was surprised when she didn't up and punch one of the guys that called her an idiot." He stated with a grin.

"I'm sure it was. She got into such a habit of fighting, it's probably hard for her to break it." Shaking her head, Pudding smiled fondly at her son. "Now go and keep her company. I don't want her changing to ripping apart furniture." She teased, ruffling his hair before he raced off.

* * *

"Your daughter is obsessed with fighting." Pudding heaved a tired sigh, washing at a pan as her husband wrapped his arms around her waist.

"What did she do this time? I thought you said she didn't fight yesterday." Taruto murmured, leaning his chin on her shoulder.

"She didn't, but today was a different story. She came back with a busted lip." The blonde woman replied, turning around to face the Alien.

Sighing, Taruto shook his head. "I guess I'm to blame for that. I didn't realize fighting was inherited." He joked lightly.

"I didn't either. I probably wouldn't have married you had I known." Pudding smirked at her husband's pout before giving him a peck. "Now tell your daughter off for fighting." She ordered, pointing to the living room doorway where Taruto could see his daughter sitting silently on the couch, awaiting her lecture.

Sighing, he dispatched himself from his wife and wandered into the room, sitting down on the couch next to Kuri. "Alright, let's hear it; why did you fight again today?"

Kuri heaved a sigh before mumbling something quickly under her breath, staring at her feet as she kicked them back and forth.

Taruto's ears twitched slightly. "What was that?" He asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Dad, you and I both know perfectly well that these ears aren't just for show." Kuri hissed softly before sighing. "I said that it wasn't hard yesterday because they were talking about me, but today they went and talked bad about you guys." She grumbled, blushing lightly.

* * *

Taruto leaned against the counter as he and Pudding cleaned up dinner. The kids were getting ready for bed as their parents talked to each other quietly.

"So you're telling me that she only fought because somebody talked bad about us?" Pudding asked, handing a wet plate to her husband to dry.

"That's what the girl said." Taruto answered, a smile on his face as he set the plate aside.

Pudding smiled slightly, almost a little proudly as she began to dry off her hands.

"You're right though; she _is_ obsessed." Pudding erupted in laughter.

* * *

**This** was really hard to do. I started writing it one way, didn't like it and began to rewrite it, then I didn't like that version and so I came up with this one. I like it better than the other two I had come up with originally. Hopefully you guys will like it!

This one is, obviously, more about Kuri than Pudding and Taruto and it hadn't been like that originally, but it wasn't working any other way in my head. I like how this one came out compared to the first one though, so I guess I'm content with the outcome.

Hm… I feel as though I'm ignoring Amondo…

I must give all my thanks to **Fireflies Glow** and **Lilyflower-314**! They keep me going with their incredible kindness! Hopefully the length is better on this one! ~Insanity


	7. 007: Eternity

Eternity:

She breathed in deeply, running her hands slowly against the front of her brilliant dress. Staring into the full length mirror, she felt a smile crawl onto her face. All day she had been uncharacteristically nervous and now wasn't any different, but she felt an almost overwhelming sense of joy making itself known.

"Ichigo, were you this nervous?" Pudding asked, turning to look at her pink haired friend as she hurried to fit into her bridesmaid outfit.

The former leader of the Mew Mews looked over at the anxious, but excited bride with a fond smile. "I don't know a bride that isn't." She answered, coming to stand next to the grown blonde, staring at her long friend through the mirror.

"Hard to imagine that just a few years ago you were an excited little girl always jumping around and making a scene." Mint commented with a soft smile as she bounced her curls, making sure that they were where she wanted them.

Pudding smiled at her friends as she slowly turned around in her floor length gown. "Thank you for doing this." She said, looking at her good friends as they hurried with finishing touches.

"We were honored to do this, Pudding." Lettuce said with a bright smile, walking over to the youngest, hugging her tightly.

The bride felt tears pricking at her eyes and quickly blinked them back. She may have still been childish compared to her friends, but she had matured in some ways. And getting married to her long time boyfriend just showed how she wasn't a little kid anymore.

Zakuro smiled slightly from where she stood, waiting for the ceremony to begin. "Don't cry, it'll ruin your makeup." She commented lightly, gliding over and patting Pudding on the shoulder.

Pudding giggled, batting away the tears that had attacked her eyes suddenly. "I'll be sure to keep that in mind." She commented with a smile.

"Now come on ladies, we need to get out there, the ceremony is about to begin!" Ichigo called, clapping her hands as she began to herd everyone out the room. She turned and winked at the bride before she and her cream colored dress disappeared out the door.

Pudding breathed deeply, trying to keep herself calm as she stared into the mirror. Seeing movement in the glass, she looked over to see Heicha standing in the doorway. Smiling, she stepped up to her maid of honor and opened her arms. The younger girl rushed into them and clung to her sister tightly. "Oh, you've grown so much!" Pudding cooed at her little sister.

"So you say and you've said for years now. We see each other everyday and you act like we haven't seen each other in years." Heicha commented with a teary smile, leaning away from her sister to stare up into the beautiful chocolate orbs.

"Oh, I know, but it's the truth." Pudding said, brushing away her younger sister's bangs. "Now no tears, this is a happy occasion." She ordered with a smile.

"Yeah, yeah, it's just that…you have to promise that you will still visit and stay in contact. Don't become one of those sisters that never talks to her siblings until she hears that one of them is sick." Heicha responded curtly, staring determinedly into her sister's loving eyes.

"Of course I won't. Now, go on out there and wait for me like the maid of honor you are." Pudding said, giving her sister a peck on the top of her head before sending the girl on her way.

Turning back around, she stared silently at the image that was reflected back to her. A young woman with her sunny hair piled onto her head with curls falling down her back in a golden waterfall. Chocolate eyes framed in long lashes and tan skin complimenting the white dress that had once been her mother's.

Another deep breath, she heard the music begin in the other room. Smiling to herself, she turned and made her way to the door. All this time, Pudding had honestly planned on walking to her fiancé on her own, but when she came to the door, tears sprung to her eyes once again.

Standing, waiting for her and looking a little awkward in his tux, was her father. A watery smile crossed her face as she wrapped her arms around her father's torso. "I didn't think you'd be able to make it." She whispered, near to tears but blinking them back.

Warm arms around her shoulders, Momo (**1**) smiled softly into his daughter's hair. "I wouldn't miss this for the world." He said, leaning back and smiling down at his daughter. "You look just like your mother."

Pudding blushed at the praise and hooked her arm with her father's and walked with him to her soon-to-be husband.

Glancing around, she spotted many the teary eyed faces staring back. All four of her brothers were there, her friend's families had gathered, and the Aliens. Her eyes passed over Masaya, Kisshu, and Pai – his best man – as they stood next to the one that had captured her heart seemingly the first time she had seen him.

Taruto stood nervously at the altar, but he had turned himself to see his wife as she walked up to him and he had eyes only for her as she approached his side.

Everything went smoothly and Pudding would swear up and down for years that there was not a dry eye in the room when they finished with their vows. They cut the cake and they had their first dance and everyone conversed together.

While she was taking a break after dancing with her father, she looked up as a woman sat next to her. It was obvious who this woman was related to as soon as Pudding set eyes on her. The ears of an Alien were hard to miss and the glimmering amber eyes had obviously been passed on to her son.

"I'm so glad my son will be with such a wonderful woman." The woman said, smiling a kind, motherly smile as she reached over and wrapped her arms around her daughter-in-law.

"Thank you, that means a lot to me, Cheri (**2**)." Pudding whispered, once again feeling tears stinging her eyes.

Cheri smiled kindly at the younger woman. "Take care of my son, I leave him to you." She said, standing slowly and walking away to a few Aliens Pudding knew to be a few of Taruto's sisters. Staring at them, the blonde woman smiled to herself as she stood and went to find her husband surrounded by some older Aliens.

As soon as they spotted her coming they quickly dispersed and Pudding saw a couple of more of his sisters disappear amongst the numbers.

"Hm, we have a large family." Pudding commented, wrapping her arms around his shoulders.

"I warned you about my numerous sisters (**3**)," Taruto commented, hugging his wife around the waist.

"You did, I won't deny that." She rested her head against his chest as she looked at everyone milling about.

They were silent for a time and Pudding couldn't remember when they had begun to sway with the music, but she didn't mind.

"Will you be alright?" Taruto whispered, resting his head on the top of the blonde's.

"With you, I'm always alright." Pudding whispered back, inclining her head back to smile lovingly at her husband. She kissed him on the lips before pulling back. "You're going to have to help me though."

"With what?" Taruto asked, brows furrowed at the sudden change in topic.

"I don't know if I'm ever going to be able to remember all those names." Pudding giggled as the brunette rolled his eyes. "Which one was the flower girl?"

"That was Shuga (**4**), the youngest." Taruto said, crinkling his nose at his wife as she began to laugh.

Marriage is until death they say. But love was forever. Eternity. Always. For life. Somehow, Pudding felt that whoever had been the first one to say that was completely right. Call her crazy, but she knew she would always love Taruto, for forever. Even despite the incredible number of sisters he had.

* * *

**1**: Momo means Peach!

**2**: Cheri, obviously, means Cherry.

**3**: I have a lovely little fan family for Taruto that consists of him, his mother, and a rather large amount of sisters XD You may be seeing some more of them later on in the story, not sure just yet.

**4**: Shuga should be pretty obvious; Sugar.

I am, for once, extremely proud of this chapter! I was thinking of different ways to write this chapter up, but then when I got started it just wrote itself! My fingers just went to work and I loved how it came out in the end!

Hm... The ever present food themed names is still going on...

I must give thanks where thanks is needed which belongs to the ever present **Lilyflower-314** who has been with me since the beginning and **mysticalwater** who was sweet even though confused by my last chapter (I actually confused myself during that chapter, so don't worry! DX) ~Insanity


	8. 008: Getaway

Getaway:

Taruto loved his children, he really did, but sometimes they could be a handful. Kuri typically came home with a new bruise added to her ever growing collection and Amondo talked nonstop just like his mother could.

They were great kids, but just like everyone else they had their problems and flaws. Like Kuri, who was less than graceful and couldn't be trusted around expensive, breakable things. Amondo was better equipped to carrying plates than his sister so he was normally counted on to set the table, but when it came to strangers his people skills went out the window and on vacation. Know one would ever be able to guess that in reality he was a rapid conversationalist.

And while Taruto loved them beyond life, it was times like these that he just needed to get away. Which was why he was in the position that he was now.

"Come on Kisshu, I've never asked you this before and I haven't asked anything of you for years now." Taruto pleaded to his friend as the forest haired man visited.

"I should have known you would ask me over for something. Honestly Taruto, I had hoped you'd grown out of this phase." Kisshu shook his head in mock disappointment before sighing and leaning on the counter. "I dunno, Taruto, I mean, I can understand wanting to get away with the wife, but why me?"

"Because everyone else is busy." Taruto explained deadpanned. Did the older Alien honestly believe that he was Taruto's first choice?

"Oh really?" Kisshu asked, raising an eyebrow in disbelief.

"Pai is back on our planet, working on a presentation for our people. Ichigo is too busy with her own children. Masaya, Shirogane, and Keiichiro have work to do. Lettuce is having a family reunion. Mint has ballet performances to do. And Zakuro is away in America right now." The younger Alien replied evenly, naming off all the people in rapid succession, almost as though he were prepared for the question.

Kisshu stood, blinking slowly for a moment before he finally responded. "Oh, so I'm the last resort?" He asked, seemingly annoyed.

"Yes." Taruto said, smirking slightly as Kisshu bristled.

"What, am I not _good_ enough to help out?" He demanded, crossing his arms in annoyance.

"You're the one that doesn't even want to do it." Taruto pointed out, raising an eyebrow at his friend's change of mood.

"That doesn't mean I'm not offended! And what makes you think I'm not busy either?" Kisshu hissed.

"Because you're you." Taruto offered, completely straight faced.

"Well thanks, that just made my day." Kisshu snarled, though he knew Taruto was right. At this point in time, the green haired Alien _didn't_ have anything going on, which only made him madder.

"So, will you do it or not?" Taruto asked, getting down to his last nerve with this conversation.

Kisshu sighed and ran a hand through his hair. He knew he was going to regret this as soon as he said it, but he didn't honestly have a good enough reason to not help the guy out. "Yeah, sure, whatever, I'll watch the little brats while you and Pudding go out for the weekend." He muttered.

"Thanks Kisshu, this really means a lot to us." The brunette responded with a relieved smile.

"Yeah, whatever…" The other Alien trailed off as he followed Taruto back into the sitting room for the tea they had just finished making. "So…why was I the last one anyway?" He asked, frowning as he picked up the cup.

"Because you're not exactly well known for being great with kids." Taruto pointed out evenly, sipping at his own.

"Gee, thanks. Name one instance." Kisshu ordered, glaring slightly at the other.

"I can name three; you scared Lettuce's little brother senseless when you two first met, I heard you're the reason why Enshoku (**1**) won't eat grapes, and you weren't the greatest babysitter when Pai left the two of us alone when we were younger." Taruto stated straight faced, ticking off the situations as he went.

Kisshu deadpanned, knowing just how right Taruto was. It wasn't his fault really, he just had awful luck with children and for some reason, they typically found him scary. He hadn't a clue why though.

* * *

"Alright kids, be good to Kisshu and we'll see you Sunday." Pudding cooed at her children, pecking them on the head and then leaving out the door, meeting her husband outside.

Kisshu watched them leave before shutting the door and turning to look at the twins with a forced smile. "So...what do you guys like to do?" He asked, glancing at each twin in turn.

Golden met brown as the twins glanced to each other and then looked back to their babysitter.

"You don't need to pretend, we know you got cornered into this. You'd rather be anywhere but here and we can understand that. Trust me, we'd rather you be anywhere but here too." Kuri started out, arms crossed as she stood with a sort of air about her. Kisshu felt his eye twitch at the way she talked to him; it reminded him so much of younger Taruto when he was still a brat. "And just because you're their friend, don't think for an instant that we're going to make things easier on you. Just leave now and we won't tell mom and dad that you left. We can handle ourselves."

Kisshu glared at the brunette as he knelt down to her level. "As much as I don't want to be doing this, I promised I would take care of you. Whether you like it or not, I'm here until they come back, got it?" He hissed into the little girl's face, not liking her even more as she straightened out her back in a haughty fashion.

"Well, we'll just see about that." Kuri snarled back, eyes narrowing into an evil little glare as her lips slowly pulled back into a devious smile, fangs poking out. Kisshu had seen that smile a couple of times before on Taruto and he immediately knew that he was in for trouble with the little girl as she turned her back on him and walked off, followed closely by her ever present twin. The boy looked a little uncomfortable at the moment, but at the same time he looked as though he wasn't going to stop his sister from doing anything she wanted.

_Let her try and scare me off. She'll find that I'm not easily ruffled._ Kisshu thought venomously as he stood up straight and followed them into the living room.

* * *

By the time the movie they had been watching ended, Kisshu had forgotten all about Kuri and her apparent dislike for him. But it was quickly brought back when the girl "accidentally" dumped her soda on his head.

"Oops! My bad." She stated, looking the picture of innocence as the Alien simmered silently.

"Don't worry, I'll just clean up." He gritted out before standing and leaving the room, heading for the bathroom to wipe the liquid off.

Kuri watched him go silently before her evil smirk returned and she turned to her brother. "Alright, let's hurry this up. I want him gone as soon as possible." She ordered, already making her way to the doorway of the living room.

"Kuri, should we really be doing this? I mean, when mom and dad come back won't Kisshu just tell them what happened?" Amondo whispered, following after his sister as she raced to the backyard.

"Psh, I have daddy wrapped around my finger, he'd never believe I'd do something like this and you're a goody two shoes, momma wouldn't think twice that you'd done anything wrong. Now come on, let's hurry before he finishes up." Kuri hissed back, heading for the back fence.

Amondo sighed heavily as he helped his sister do the dirty work. Sometimes he wondered why he even tried to get out of helping her, Kuri was just too smart, she could get him to do just about anything with a few well worded explanations. He hated himself for being weak when it came to helping out his sister and her evil schemes.

* * *

Kisshu came out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his head. He glanced suspiciously around the hallway before leaning into the living room. Easily spying the twins, he fully entered the room and raised an eyebrow at them. "Shouldn't you be getting ready for bed? They said that your bedtime is nine."

"Psh, it doesn't take half an hour to get ready for bed." Kuri waved the man off, not taking her eyes off the TV screen as she kicked her feet against the couch.

"Mhm." Kisshu hummed, plopping down in an armchair. He eyed the screen, but wasn't really paying any attention to what was going on. His entire attention was centered on the twins, making sure they didn't come up with anything funny while he was there.

Half an hour later, the show ended, Kuri turned the TV off, and the twins made their way up the stairs to get ready for bed. Kisshu was actually rather surprised that they did it on their own and didn't need any prodding from him.

Still, he followed after them slowly, keeping them in his sights so that Kuri couldn't try anything. And just as they were climbing into their beds and Kisshu was about to head to the guest room, Kuri called him back. "What?" He asked, not even trying to be nice to the little demon.

"Don't 'what' me; you have to read us a story. That's what mom and dad always do to help us get to sleep." Kuri demanded, arms crossed as she glared heatedly back at the older Alien.

"I don't _do_ stories. Read yourself to sleep if you need a story that badly." Kisshu hissed back at the little girl, leaning in the doorway.

"Do you _want_ me to call up mom and dad? Cause I will. I'm sure they'd be _delighted_ to know just how well you're taking care of us." The sister snarled.

"Do you honestly think I'm afraid of Taruto and Pudding?" The Alien smirked lazily, arms crossed cockily.

"You haven't seen momma when she's tired. And you haven't seen her when she's mad. You know why they didn't want a babysitter that wasn't a family friend? Because the last one that was here didn't treat us well. When Momma got home, it was hell." Kuri smiled evilly, her lips pulling back to show off her inherited fangs. "I'm not even sure that guy is out of the hospital yet. That was four months ago."

Kisshu would normally have scoffed at such a story, but that was if any other child had been telling the story. However, Kuri was no ordinary child. The way she spoke made it sound true. And Kisshu had seen a mad Pudding once, it, indeed, was not a pretty sight.

"Alright, fine, what do you want to hear?" He asked, coming into the room with a scowl.

"Ever heard of Cinderella?"

* * *

It was official; Kisshu was traumatized. He had just finished reading the book and both the kids were now fast asleep in their beds. Who had ever heard of a woman wearing a glass shoe to a dance that was given to her by her flipping fairy godmother? Humans had such strange imaginations. And he was strangely surprised to find out that Kuri actually liked those kind of stories. The girl didn't seem to the "fairy princess" type.

Shaking his head, he made his way to the guest room to settle down for the night. If only, if only.

He had snuggled under the covers and was on the brink of sleeping when he felt something strange tickle the top of his head. Frowning, he lifted his hand and grabbed whatever was there and opened his fist to find a pissed off spider. Now, Kisshu wasn't afraid of a lot of things; death, fire, evil kids, but one of the few things that he could absolutely not stand was a spider. The tiniest one would set him off. How that evil brat knew that, Kisshu didn't know, but the first thing that crossed his mind was to yelp and fling the creature away.

It was by this time that he, unfortunately, noticed the other little eight legged things that had somehow found their way into his room. Oh, that little girl would pay.

* * *

In the morning, Kisshu found himself yawning awake as he stumbled into the kitchen. He had been told not to let the kids cook for themselves, so that was up to him to do. He wasn't a morning person and nor was he a great chef. Things were just looking up and up. It was a little while later that the demon made her appearance.

"What's the matter, Kisshu? Didn't sleep well?" The man turned around to glare at the little girl as she stood leaning in the doorway to the kitchen, a satisfied smirk resting on her face.

"No, but I'm sure you would know that." He hissed, glaring at her as he set a plate down at the counter. Having to sleep on a couch wasn't the best way to sleep for anyone.

"Why, I'm hurt! I didn't do anything at all and you're accusing me!" Kuri cried, resting her hand over where she was suppose to have a heart (Kisshu seriously doubted that she really did have one by this point).

Smirking, she crawled onto the stool and began to eat as Amondo walked in. The blonde had the decency to look guilty at their evil little trick, but Kisshu still gave the boy a glare as he walked out of the room.

* * *

Taruto sighed as he and Pudding parked the car and slowly climbed out. "Well that was much deserved." He commented lightly as he came around to the other side.

"Yes, and I'm so glad that you suggested it." Pudding giggled, leaning on her husband as they walked to the front door.

"I'm just glad that Kisshu accepted." Taruto commented lightly as he opened the front door. He took a step in and then looked to his wife with a slight frown. "I had honestly expected the house to be in shambles. Are we sure we're in the right house?"

Pudding was just as bewildered as her husband was. Walking into the perfectly clean house, they looked around for their children, wondering what had become of them and Kisshu in their time away.

Kisshu was walking down the stairs when they found him and he waved in greeting.

"Erm…so, did everything go alright?" Taruto asked, still looking around the house as though he were expecting a film crew to jump out and tell him they had just been punked.

"Yeah, everything went alright." Kisshu shrugged in answer. "They're in their room right now. I think they're asleep but I wouldn't put it past them to be awake." He offered with a grin as Pudding hugged him.

"Well thank you for watching them for us." She said with a bright smile.

"Yeah, sure, no problem." Kisshu waved her off as he made his way out the door.

The two looked at each other for a moment before shaking their heads and going to peek into the kids' room.

Glancing in, Taruto and Pudding smiled slightly before shutting the door and heading off to their own bed. In the morning, they'd find that their roll of duck tape was surprisingly low.

* * *

Kisshu smirked to himself as he headed off for the apartment he was renting at the moment. Kuri was smart, but duck tape was hard to get out of.

_That'll teach you, you little demon._

_

* * *

_**1**: Enshoku means Orange according to the Japanese Romaji sight I've been looking these names up on. He's the son of Ichigo and Masaya.

I'm actually rather fond of this chapter myself. It just started to write itself as I went, just like the last one. It would also have been a lot longer, but I didn't want to it be _too_ long. Lol! Funny how I was having trouble with length in earlier chapters and this one is nearly a story all on its own!

I was actually a little concerned about the ending at first because I had a different way for it to finish off originally, but I'm happy with this one! You know how overly cliché the babysitter story can get with the evil bratty child/ren that makes their life miserable? And at the end, the babysitter and kid(s) are the best of friends suddenly? Yeah, that was actually how I was going to end up, but that'd make it too long because then I'd have to explain how they became friends and I don't want to get into all of that. So, I ended it with Kisshu having his revenge on Kuri by tying her up with duck tape. He did the same to Amondo if not to keep the kid from untying his sister. They got out of it in the morning when Kuri found the scissors. Kisshu had cleaned up the house, just to let you guys know, and that's why it was so clean.

Just to let you know, that bit about Kisshu not liking spiders actually was based off my arachnophobia. I _hate_ spiders. Seriously.

I realize it wasn't really about getting away or anything, but who really wants to read what Taruto and Pudding did with their kids at the house? No one because it would be incredibly boring! Especially coming from me, though I'm sure I could have tortured them -evil smile-

Sorry about taking a while to get this up, I've been a bit busy. My dog has heartworms so it has been a crazy ride with him, not to mention my sister has been super depressed lately because a good friend of hers got into a car accident and died. I've been trying to cheer her up lately. Really sorry, once again, hopefully the next one won't take as long!

Once again, a great amount of thanks to **Lilyflower-314** for her ever present reviews and to **Fireflies Glow** for being uber kind to each of my horrid chapters! How's the length in _this_ one? XD~ Insanity


	9. 009: Death

Death:

Pudding remembered the time clearly. It had been in later March when it was still slightly chilly outside but getting warmer. Kuri and Amondo had still been four at the time and when the call had come in they had been playing in the living room.

She easily remembered looking over her shoulder from where she stood making their lunch in the kitchen when the phone rang. Setting down her instruments, she walked over and picked up the phone with a smile. "Hello?" She answered the caller, leaning against the counter while smiling softly at her happily playing children.

"Pudding! It's awful, it's…" The blond woman frowned as she listened to the speaker intently. Something immediately clicked and she realized something bad had happened.

"Heicha, what's wrong? Calm down, I can't understand you." She quickly murmured to her sister, trying not to get too anxious at her hysteric sister. The woman didn't want her children to know something was wrong.

She could hear her little sister gasping on the other end along with various voices in the background. "Heicha, what's going on? Where are you? Are you in trouble?" She fired off at the mouth, becoming a bit panicked at the way Heicha was behaving.

"No, no it's not me, Pudding it's… Pudding, you need to come to the hospital right away… Please, he needs you." Heicha murmured, sobbing into the phone.

"I'll be right there." Pudding didn't understand what was going on, but Heicha had always been a strong girl. If anything could make her cry it must have been something very serious.

Hanging up, Pudding quickly turned the phone back on and started dialing. "Ichigo? Listen, it's Pudding, can you come over right away to watch the kids? I know it's short notice but something has come up. I just got a call from Heicha and-"

"Woah, slow down Pudding." Ichigo interrupted, hearing the strain and worry in her young friend's voice. "I'll be right over."

"Thank you." The blond mother whispered before hanging up and getting a few things together before she left.

Peeking into the living room she smiled softly at her children. Even though she had tried, they had noticed something was up and were no longer playing, but instead looking at her curiously.

Walking into the room she gently knelt down to their level and hugged them. "Listen, mommy has to go right now. Ichigo will be here to take care of you while I'm gone. You two be good for her, alright?" She murmured to them, smiling gently at their wide eyes.

Kuri frowned slightly, a block still held in her hands, forgotten as she stared up at her mother. She said nothing as Amondo tilted his head. "Alright momma." The little boy muttered, eyes as trusting as ever.

"That's my boy." Pudding murmured gently before standing and leaving the kids in the living room, opening the door just as Ichigo was getting out of the car, carrying Enshoku in her arms. "Thanks for getting here so quickly." The blond murmured to her redheaded friend.

"No problem. Just be glad the police didn't notice I was speeding." Ichigo responded, trying to lighten up the gloomy mood before staring seriously at her friend. "Now go on. It sounded serious from your voice. Whatever is happening, you won't have to worry about Kuri and Amondo."

"Thank you." Pudding smile sincerely at her good friend before racing off to head to the hospital her sister was at.

Ichigo watched her leave, a concerned frown on her face as she stood in front of the open door. Enshoku's brilliant rosy-brown eyes stared up at his mother questioningly. "Can I play with 'em?" He asked, pointing over his mother's shoulder to the two kids standing in the doorway, staring after their mother with eyes much too serious for children their age.

Ichigo set her son down and watched him wander over to the twins before they disappeared back inside. Frowning, she noticed the way the two seemed to force their smiles and laughter. Sighing, she looked back down the street before slowly shaking her head and disappearing inside herself. Whatever happened, she hoped Pudding would be alright.

* * *

Pudding parked quickly and jumped out of her car, only remembering with half a mind to lock the car behind her as she raced inside the large building made for the healing of others.

Bursting through the doors, she glanced around quickly and then over to the woman at the front desk. "I'm looking for my little sister, Heicha?" She murmured quickly, brown eyes flicking around the room nervously.

The woman glanced at her computer before frowning. "We have a visitor of that name. She's visiting on the second floor." She answered after a moment before blinking in wonder at the running Pudding.

Not bothering to wait for the elevator, Pudding took the stairs two at a time, getting to the top in record time before bursting through the door and quickly eying the hallway. It wasn't hard to spy the small group of people toward the end and she found herself slowing to a stop without even realizing she had begun to run again in the first place.

Looking at the gathered siblings without a word, Pudding counted them and felt her heart sinking. Heicha was there with her boyfriend of six months, eyes red and puffy as she clung to the boy's chest.

Chincha sat with his face resting in his hands, sitting idly on the bench in front of a closed door.

Honcha held his wife tightly in his arms, his own head resting on hers as they stood by the window.

Lucha was the one to stand up from where he was sitting and greet Pudding with a weary, tired hug and a sad smile.

"Lucha, what's going on? Where's Hanacha and why are we here?" She demanded quietly, though she had a sinking feeling and had a horrid sense of what Lucha had to say.

"Hanacha… Pudding, Hanacha got into an accident. He was blind sided by another car. He…he didn't make it Pudding." The quadruplet murmured sadly as another onslaught of tears threatened to break through.

The eldest sister was stunned into silence and felt herself slowly withdrawing mentally away. This couldn't be real, could it? Hanacha had always been there, just like all the other siblings. He was the one to start most of the fights between the siblings through one reason or another. And though he had been insufferable sometimes, he had also been a great brother. He may not have been the best comforter, but when anyone needed to talk to someone, he was a great listener.

How could it be that he wasn't there any more? But it had to be true. Why else would her siblings be crying? Honcha would never be caught crying otherwise. He felt it was too weak.

Slowly, as the world caught up with her in her vacuum of untouched time, Pudding felt tears beginning to sting at her eyes. Shock had come over her for but a brief moment and she quickly broke down into tears, body quivering as she fell to the ground, hands clutching her shoulders.

It wasn't like what she read in stories of death before. Normally she tried to stay away from those kinds of books, but when it was mandatory for school she had pushed to get through them. She had read that people normally fell into shock for a number of weeks before they finally understood what had happened and broke down. Was it because she was more in tuned with her emotions that she should feel the pain of loss so soon?

Anger at the world and depression over her little brother's death made the normally strong, independent woman break down into a sobbing mess until she was taken to the bench, sat down, and cradled gently. It wasn't until later, as she was looking back on it, that she realized how distraught and worried Taruto had been over not finding her at the house when he had gotten home, only to be told that she was at the hospital.

* * *

She stood staring sadly at the open casket in silence, her hands gripped tightly together as she stared solemnly at what was once her smiling brother's face.

Taruto was there with her, along with her friends and family, but it would never fill the hole in her heart that Hanacha had left behind.

Kuri and Amondo weren't completely aware of what was happening, but they seemed to realize that this was a sad time and sat in respectable silence with each other.

* * *

Afterward, Pudding would be found meandering around her house aimlessly. She would clean and clean one plate for nearly ten minutes before setting it aside, only to pick it back up again and start over. The blond Mew Mew wasn't in shock, but she had shut herself out from the world and went through each day as it came, trying to keep everyone unnecessary out.

She worried her husband, her children, and her friends endlessly, but she didn't see it. Every now and then, as she was walking, she would suddenly stop and stare at nothing before taking another step.

Finally, one day as she sat in her house with her friends around her, Mint snapped.

"Pudding, would you stop it?! We realize you're mourning for the loss of your brother, but you can't just shut us out like this! We're friends, aren't we? Open up to us like you always have! We're here for you, don't you realize that yet? You're worrying us nonstop and there's nothing for us to do but just sit here and wring our hands together in concern. Taruto is a complete mess, not knowing what to do! And you've got Kuri and Amondo crying to their friends about how they've lost their mother!" The blue haired ballerina exploded, tears stinging her brown orbs.

Pudding blinked slowly, staring at Mint strangely as Ichigo erupted on her angered friend, telling her off for being so rude when Pudding was obviously in a lot of pain.

But the blond woman slowly found herself blinking back tears before just bursting. The next thing she knew, Lettuce was cradling her gently, rocking back and forth while whispering soothingly to her.

"I'm sorry everyone." Pudding whispered through her hands covering her face. "I'm sorry for worrying you."

Mint stared uncomfortably at her shoes before sitting on the other side of Pudding, wrapping her arms around her shoulders. "Just don't scare us like that again. We need you Pudding. And Hanacha wouldn't be happy with the way you're acting."

"I know, and I'm sorry." Pudding whispered softly. _I'm sorry, Hancha. I won't do it again._

_

* * *

_Death is a part of life. Not a part that anyone truly likes, but a part nonetheless. It's something we must deal with at least once in our life. But with friends and family, it's possible to get through this final stage of a person's journey. Pudding was thankful that she had the friends she had to bring her back to life whenever she needed help.

* * *

Wow… I'm actually rather surprised with myself that I was able to get through with this. I'm not happy about killing off one of Pudding's siblings, but it was either one of them Yuebin, her father, or Cheri. However, that would take a while to write out and stuff. To me anyway.

I'll be honest, I don't like how I ended this. I think I went too fast, but, meh, it's alright I suppose. However, I would much rather hear what you guys have to offer. Be honest! To me, it's not my best, and I'll be sure to try harder, but guilt got to me about how long it has taken me to update this so I hurried through it… -sigh- I feel awful! Please forgive me for taking so long!!!!

I must thank my lovely reviewers, just like I also do! **mysticalwater** (thanks for being so understanding! I still feel that I was out of line saying that!), **Fireflies Glow** (yes, they are! Nothing with eight legs is natural! Not. NATURAL!), and **Lilyflower-314** (thanks for reviewing on every chapter!) ~Insanity


	10. AN: Super Sorry and Major Apologies!

I'm really sorry about the lack of updating guys, but even now this isn't an update. I'm super sorry, but for now this thing is going on hiatus. It hopefully won't be for long, though. I'm not done with it, but I don't have a computer to work with and I'm only borrowing this for a moment so that I can alert you guys to my current predicament. My greatest apologies guys! Just as soon as I get a computer again I'll get to working on this! Promise! Until then, all I can do is hope that you guys will forgive me and cross my fingers that my computer will get fixed soon. Later! ~Insanity


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